Choosing the right web design company is not an easy task. It is, in fact, the most important decision you will have to make about your website. So, what points should you consider?
First of all, the web design itself is just a tiny part of your Internet marketing strategy. There is no point in having a great website if nobody visits it, and no point in receiving tons of visitors if your website does not convert them into customers.
Look for a company that has a wide range of expertise and a broad understanding of current online marketing trends and strategies. Your web design company should have a team of specialised staff that includes:
- Designers who have the skill to make your website both appealing, as well as easy to use, so that visitors quickly find what they are looking for.
- Programmers who can add functionality to your website by implementing features such as automatic customer mailing lists, online shopping and so on.
- Copywriters who write compelling texts that tell your visitors what they need to know and at the same time persuade them to do business with you.
- Search Engine Optimisation Professionals who work to make your website rank higher in the search engines, thus increasing your online visibility and attracting more traffic to your web pages.
- Pay-Per-Click Account Managers who can offer you the option of attracting even more traffic by means of Pay-Per-Click Advertising (online ads in the search engines or other websites, where you only pay for the visitors you receive).
- Online Marketing Professionals who have the expertise to oversee your overall strategy and make sure that you are getting the best return on your investment.
Now, putting your website design in the hands of a freelancer or a small “mom and pop” web design company might seem like a great way to cut costs. But, when you consider all the different skills necessary to make your online presence a success, you would probably end up with a “Jack of all trades” and master of not much at all. That could turn out to be an expensive mistake in terms of lost revenue from your website!
Also, keep in mind that putting up a website is not a fire-and-forget affair. Your site will require ongoing web marketing to make sure it remains effective. Periodically, you might need to deploy new software to add features to your website or simply to keep abreast with changing online trends and standards. And, of course, you will want to update the information on your website to reflect changes, new products, special offers and so on. What do you do when you need an urgent twenty or thirty pages added about a new product line you´re launching and your freelancer is up to his neck in work for the next three months or worse, has gone on holiday to the Bahamas?
You also want to have the peace of mind that, should your website go down in an emergency, you have the backing of a team that will respond quickly and get everything up and running again as soon as possible at any time of the day or night, public holidays included. This is something most small companies cannot offer because of their limited resources or even something they have no control over because they host your website on third party web servers.
When you consider that your website is bound to become a critical part of the way you do business, you need to choose a company that can guarantee stability and ongoing quality customer service. At Sorted Sites, we have heard too many horror stories of freelance web designers who suddenly go AWOL, leaving their clients without access to data that is theirs and that is vital for their day-to-day business operation. We have already had five cases this year of distraught website owners who were left high and dry by freelancers and came to us seeking a solution. In some cases the web designers went out of business, in others they just vanished into thin air, and one even ended up in jail!
Think carefully before you choose your web designer. After all, it´s your business, your passwords, your e-mails and possibly even your confidential communications and inside information that you are entrusting them with.
Here are a few interesting links where you can find more information on what to look for in a web design company:
How should I choose a web designer?
5 tips for choosing a web designer
And if you want to get into the more technical issues to look out for see this page:
{ 2 comments… read them below or add one }
cutting costs on web design by hiring lesser talent is a bad idea in so many ways.. a web presence to represent your company is an investment and should be treated as such. great post by the way
Nice post. When I look for a web design company, I look first for their portfolio. It will tell you how great they are.